Home on the RangeTis Dungeness Season,And Time to Get Crackin'ooo By Fred Delkinooo

We in the Pacific Northwest are blessed to live alongthe salty depths that are the planet's home for the Dungeness Crab...for which, we submit, there is no earthly shellbound equivalent. Yes, Lobsters deserve their gourmet plaudits, but other Crab, including the King of the Bering Sea, cannot compare, in our opinion, to the sweet succulence of a properly-prepared Dungeness.oooThe Dungeness commercial season now extends 9 months of the year, with an expanded fishery in Alaska producing prime crab through spring and early summer. Oregon's sport crabbing extends through summer and into fall, but local Dungies trapped from our coastal bays are not at their prime during summer and early fall, though we've boiled 'em up beachside for beer-fueled feeds along Tillamook and Netarts bays without complaint. The Oregon commercial season kicks off in December and prices are lowest leading into the holiday season.oooYour local fish monger sells Dungies in the shell, both live and cooked. Chilled whole crab-in-shell with diners equipped with melted butter and a pair of crackers are the usual Northwest styleof consumption. However, when yours truly owned historic Jake's Crawfish restaurnt indowntown Portland, we found that experirenced tourists would demand "Jake's BBQ Crab" andwe resurrected this recipe from historic files. oooThe secret recipe:oooThe following treatment is hands-on & messy, but well worth the effort! You cook the sauce, notthe Crab, and pour the sauce over the pre-boiled, partitoned crab-in-shell in serving bowls. The whole pre-cooked Crabcan be quartered and served two quarters per diner (whole crabs will range from 2-4 lbs. each). Crack the shells before serving, but leaving the meat intact. Serve with bibs and a large bowl for discarded shell, and a side of sliced garlic bread for dipping in the sauce. Liquid in this recipe is adequate for two Crab or 4 servings.oooThe BBQ Sauce:ooo 1 quart water 4 tbsp. Worcestershire Sauce 2 tbsp. Ground Cumin 1 whole Garlic Bulb, minced 1 tbsp. Chili Powder 4 Celery branches, chopped fine 1 tbsp. Curry Powder 1 tsp. Cayenne Pepper r tbsp. Sugar juice of 4 Lemons 3 whole Cloves 2 tsp. Dry Mustard Powdwe 2 Bay leaves 1/2 lb. Unsalted Butter 4 Bouillon cubesooo Mix Curry Powder, Cumin, Cayenne, Mustard & Chili Powder with Water into a paste,stir in with all other ingredients in a saucepan and wsimmer for 30 minutew. Stir in Bouilloncubes strqain the broth. Now place Crab sections in a really big bowl and pour hot broth overthem and let steep for 10 minutes. Transfer Crab sections from broth to serving bowls, heat the broth to steaming, pour over each serving and get at it!!oooServe this paradisical concoction with a fine flagon or two (or three!) Of Northwest microbrew.

ooo (OMED editorial comment: According to Oregon State University, the Dungeness crab is canniballistic. You are what you eat, so crabs taste great because their dietincludes crabs.)